Improved cask



J. CONNOLLY.

GASK.

PATENTED JULY 21, 1863.

jvnwnlfr UNITED STATES PATENT O F-ICE.

JOHN CONNOLLY, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

- IMPROVED CASK.

. Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 89,274, dated July 21, 1863.

' To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN CoNNoLLY, of Boston, in the county of Sufiolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement-in the Construction of Ca sks and I do hereby declare that the following is -a full, clear, and exact description, of the same, reference being had to the accompanyving drawings,making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side sections. view of a cask constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2, a plan or top view of the same. Similar letters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the'two figures. This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in the construction of casks, barrels, kegs, &c.,- and is applicable to either metaLbr wooden articles above named.

The invention consists in the employment or use of a metal head, provided with an internal screw,-whioli works on a male screw on;

the cask, harrel, or keg, and constructedand arranged as hereinafter fully shown and de- 1 scribed, whereby it is believed that many advantages are obtained over casks, barrels,

&c., constructed in theordinary manner.

-To. enable those skilled'in the art to fullyunderstand and. construct my invention, I will i proceed to describe it.

A represents the body or main portion 'of a wooden barrel, a being the sta ves, and b the hoops. 'These parts are of ordinary construction, and therefore do not require a minute description. 1"

B represents the metal heads of the barrel.

I These headsmay be of any suitable thickness, and they'are swaged or otherwise formed, sov

as to'have an elevated rim, 0, which serves as a 'cap for the ends of the staves, and also to have a -flange, d,- to project down over the outer sides of the staves. This flange d has a screw,.e, cut on its inner side, so .that the flangemay be screwed on or over the end 0t the barrel, as'shown clearly in Fig. 1. The

head proper-that is to say, the portion within the cap. or rim c-is considerably sunken,

so'astoadmit of a requisite projection of the rim corresponding to the chineof an ordinary barrel. The head is provided with two.

teats or pins, f f, to receivea lever or wrench,

by which the fiange d is screwed on the barrel. The ordinary wooden barrel, as is well known,'is provided with wooden heads beveled at their periphery and fittedin a oroze made in the inner sides of the staves at a short distance from their'ends, the staves being bound snugly together and around. the head by hoops. The principal disadvantages attending this mode of construction are-as follows: The croze weakens the staves and the chines of the barrel are very liable to be broken off by the rough usage they receive,

and when broken cannot be repaired so as to be reliable or durable. Thefibers of the wood also, between the head and the hoop, are frequently compressed to-such a degree by the drivingof the hoop as to lose theirresistanee to strain, and the slightest stroke or blow will in this case frequently break the chine. The

wooden heads also are liable to shrink and in that case ose their perfect circular form,

which renders a tight joint around the head? almost impossible. These difficulties are fully" obviated by my invention, and in case the barrel shrinks the head. may be screwed farther on the barrel, so as to bring the staves compactly together and form'perteotly-tightjoints between them. In order to carry out this plan fully 1 design to have the flanges d only partly screwed down at first to form perfect joints, thus leaving room in the cap or rim a for a further screwing down, if shrinkage renders it necessary. 1 will remark, however,

that in the event of shrinkage after the head is screwed fully down the latter may bere-- moved', the ends of the staves sawed off, and the-head again applied to the barrel. The screw 0 will form its own thread on the barrel.

It will be seen by referring to Fig. l that the bilge of the barrel, in connection with an inclination which isgiven the flange d, insures the-stat cs being pressed inward as the head is screwed on the barrel.

' The invention may be applied to metal casks,

the latter being formed or rolled outof'a solid plate or made in sections and fitted. together with anysnitable form of joint. 7

My invention not. only insures a perfect and durable cask,but it also greatly reducesthe. costof construction,-as the usual work, of .chami'ering', howeling, crozing, and fittinglthe head is avoided and the head serves as. a

hoop and a cap for the ends of -the staves,la.'ll

combined in one piece.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Paltent, is

A metallic head for casks, barrels, kegs, 860., formed with an elevated rim or cap, a,

JOHN CONNOLLY.

and a flange, d, provided with a screw, 0, on Witnesscs: its inner surface, and-allconstructed and ar- JAMES R. CONNOLLY, ranged. as shown, so as to be capable of being CORNELIUS applied in the manner substantially as set. 

